It has emerged that the plan to convert a former Cadbury office block on Bournville Lane into flats has been resubmitted to the City Council. The previous application was labelled as a “serious threat to Bournville” by local councillors and was evenetually withdrawn.

The application for Franklin House is for:

“Conversion and extension of existing office block to form 73 no flats with ground floor gymnasium and associated external alterations (including demolition of facades), 10 new build residential units (4 houses and 6 flats) with associated landscaping, parking and access.”

The previous plan envisaged 79 new flats with four new houses facing Mary Vale Road. The new plan retains the four houses but includes a new block of flats facing Franklin Way. Franklin House is inside the Bournville Conservation Area but not within the Bournville Estate and the building isn’t owned by Cadbury Kraft who last used it in 2008, since when it has remained empty.

After ‘extensive consultation’ with the council, the new application is not accompanied, as the last one was, by a ‘conservation area consent application’. The council have also advised that the new plan reduces the visibility of Franklin House to make it more ‘under-stated’.

The Bournville Village Council blog reports that the consultation ends on the 26th December.

The planning application reference is 2011/08070/PA and full details can be accessed through the city council’s Planning Online.

Link to Design and Access statement.

New plans for Franklin House